It's been 11 months since Virginia Tech women's basketball star Elizabeth Kitley had her career in Blacksburg end with an injury in the regular season final last March at Virginia. At the time we didn't know what her injury was, but she was ruled out of the ACC Tournament by former coach Kenny Brooks.
She was not ruled out of the NCAA Tournament until right before the Hokies hosted the Blacksburg Regional, which ended her career. She ended up with a torn ACL and faced a long road to recovery to continue her playing career in the WNBA. Speaking of the WNBA, despite her injury, it didn't stop her from being drafted last April.
In the second round, the Las Vegas Aces selected Kitley and she missed the entire 2024 season, but she'll be ready for 2025.
Elizabeth Kitley signs with Las Vegas Aces
Ten months after getting drafted, Kitley signed her contract with Las Vegas and will be ready for camp to begin ahead of the season. The All-Time leading scorer in Virginia Tech history and three-time ACC Player of the Year posted back in November that she was working out and working her way back into game shape for the upcoming season.
OFFICIAL: The Las Vegas Aces have signed Elizabeth Kitley.
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) February 3, 2025
The @HokiesWBB All-Time Leading Scorer and 3x ACC Player of the Year is officially an 𝗔𝗖𝗘. ♠️ pic.twitter.com/FMBK2l8a9T
It's great to see Kitley back on the court and making her way back to game shape for the season this spring and summer. She should be able to easily make the transition from the college game to the pro game in one of the best WNBA organizations.
Last month, Virginia Tech retired Kitley's No. 33 to the rafters at Cassell Coliseum in the Hokies, 70-65, ACC win over Louisville. When the school announced last April that they were retiring her number, it was the right decision and it was something that Tech fans were asking for as soon as the season ended.
Kiley's first regular season WNBA game will be played on Saturday, May 17 in New York against the Liberty at 3 o'clock ET at the Barclay's Center. It's an afternoon of basketball that Virginia Tech fans will certainly be waiting for and tuning into.